Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chiang Mai and Barysaw

For one person, living is cheaper in Barysaw: $782 a month against $938 in Chiang Mai, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Chiang Mai
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Chiang Mai Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Barysaw
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Barysaw Living Index

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Chiang Mai

🇹🇭 Thailand

$938

/mo nomad

Barysaw

🇧🇾 Belarus

$782

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Chiang Mai and in Barysaw

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Chiang Mai and in Barysaw actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $938 in Chiang Mai versus $782 in Barysaw.

Chiang Mai $938
Barysaw $782

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,426 in Chiang Mai versus $1,237 in Barysaw.

Chiang Mai $1,426
Barysaw $1,237

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,914 in Chiang Mai versus $1,692 in Barysaw.

Chiang Mai $1,914
Barysaw $1,692

Living in Chiang Mai is roughly 20% more expensive than in Barysaw, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Chiang Mai 30% lower, Barysaw 42% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.26 ฿75.4

$6.41 BYN 19.22

-64.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.18 ฿641

$28.95 BYN 86.8

-33.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 ฿187

$4.31 BYN 12.94

29.70%

Cappuccino

$1.72 ฿57.6

$1.55 BYN 4.66

10.97%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.64 ฿21.54

$0.61 BYN 1.83

4.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ฿11.18

$0.32 BYN 0.96

3.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.36 ฿78.7

$1.18 BYN 3.53

100.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 ฿130

$2.43 BYN 7.29

60.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 ฿68.6

$0.73 BYN 2.19

180.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.40 ฿46.70

$0.61 BYN 1.83

129.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.89

$1.08 BYN 3.23

18.52%

Eggs

$2.25 ฿75.3

$1.35 BYN 4.06

66.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.94 ฿566

$6.84 BYN 20.52

147.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.74 ฿91.6

$4.00 BYN 12.01

-31.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.36 ฿313

$5.99 BYN 17.98

56.26%

Apples (1kg)

$2.40 ฿80.3

$1.19 BYN 3.58

101.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 ฿33.92

$1.81 BYN 5.43

-44.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.61 ฿53.9

$1.82 BYN 5.46

-11.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.52 ฿50.7

$1.69 BYN 5.06

-10.06%

Potato (1kg)

$1.28 ฿42.90

$0.41 BYN 1.24

212.20%

Onion (1kg)

$1.11 ฿37.22

$0.63 BYN 1.88

76.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.72 ฿24.09

$0.94 BYN 2.81

-23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ฿17.54

$0.46 BYN 1.37

13.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.33 ฿145

$1.95 BYN 5.84

122.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.73 ฿593

$7.66 BYN 22.99

131.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.63 ฿54.4

$1.51 BYN 4.52

7.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 ฿95.3

$2.11 BYN 6.34

35.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.85 ฿28.31

$0.34 BYN 1.03

150.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$53.9 ฿1,801

$14.16 BYN 42.47

280.65%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.17 ฿39.18

$0.71 BYN 2.12

64.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.57 ฿19.00

$0.49 BYN 1.48

16.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.37 ฿79.2

$10.09 BYN 30.27

-76.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 ฿48.32

$0.84 BYN 2.53

72.62%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$20.5K ฿684.3K

$19.3K BYN 57.8K

6.30%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.5K ฿886.1K

$19.5K BYN 58.5K

36.02%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$62.3 ฿2,083

$70.4 BYN 211

-11.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$12.27 ฿410

$7.20 BYN 21.59

70.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.97 ฿668

$11.46 BYN 34.38

74.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.91 ฿1,267

$36.18 BYN 109

4.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.76 ฿126

Cinema Ticket

$6.71 ฿224

$3.24 BYN 9.71

107.10%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$797 ฿26.6K

$327 BYN 980

144.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.8K ฿495.7K

$9,934 BYN 29.8K

49.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 ฿1,780

$44.37 BYN 133

20.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.05 ฿837

$46.27 BYN 139

-45.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.6 ฿3,062

$89.3 BYN 268

2.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$73.5 ฿2,455

$103 BYN 309

-28.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$464 ฿15.5K

$342 BYN 1,025

35.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$305 ฿10.2K

$254 BYN 762

19.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$915 ฿30.6K

$578 BYN 1,733

58.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$552 ฿18.5K

$499 BYN 1,497

10.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,912 ฿63.9K

$1,087 BYN 3,261

75.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,438 ฿48.1K

$876 BYN 2,628

64.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$595 ฿19.9K

$639 BYN 1,918

-6.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.57

-60.21%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Chiang Mai: October 13, 2026

Last update for Barysaw: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Chiang Mai

$305 32.5%

Barysaw

$254 32.5% 16.7% $51

Groceries & Markets

Chiang Mai

$238 25.4%

Barysaw

$153 19.6% 35.7% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Chiang Mai

$110 11.7%

Barysaw

$127 16.3% 16.2% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chiang Mai

$95 10.1%

Barysaw

$89 11.4% 5.8% $5.5

Eating Out

Chiang Mai

$79 8.4%

Barysaw

$97 12.4% 23.1% $18

Getting Around

Chiang Mai

$61 6.5%

Barysaw

$19 2.4% 69.5% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Chiang Mai

$51 5.5%

Barysaw

$43 5.5% 16.9% $8.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $464 in Chiang Mai and $342 in Barysaw. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barysaw pays 7% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $19.00 in Chiang Mai vs $29.00 in Barysaw. Groceries flip the comparison at $238 vs $153, with Barysaw cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇹🇭 Chiang Mai

🇧🇾 Barysaw

🕒 Local time

14:22 2:22 PM

10:22 10:22 AM

4 h behind Chiang Mai

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

127,240

143,051

💱 Currency

Thai Baht THB ฿

Belarusian Ruble BYN Br

📈 Exchange rate

100 THB = 2.99 USD

100 THB = 2.66 EUR

1 BYN = 0.333 USD

1 BYN = 0.297 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BYN, USD, EUR to THB – Thai Baht Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇹🇭 Thai Baht (฿)

Thai Baht exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 33.42 THB (100 THB = 2.99 USD). 1 EUR = 37.57 THB (100 THB = 2.66 EUR).

Belarusian Ruble exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 3 BYN (1 BYN = 0.333 USD). 1 EUR = 3.37 BYN (1 BYN = 0.297 EUR).

USD to THB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Chiang Mai Barysaw 7,060 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Chiang Mai
Barysaw

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Chiang Mai vs Barysaw: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barysaw is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, transport, and leisure. The 20% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 7% lower in Barysaw. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $464 in Chiang Mai versus $342 in Barysaw. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $938 per month in Chiang Mai versus $782 in Barysaw – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barysaw runs roughly 281% less than in Chiang Mai. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $782 in Barysaw versus $938 in Chiang Mai, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Barysaw but tight or insufficient in Chiang Mai. The gap between the two cities makes Barysaw the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

For families, Barysaw is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Chiang Mai, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Safety-wise, Chiang Mai and Barysaw are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Barysaw gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.